If someone were to mention Swedish pop and you first associate the atrocity that is Basshunter with this, treatment then First Aid Kit’s The Lion’s Roar- Deluxe edition is clearly a lesson for your starved existence. For those of you not in the know, no rx ‘The Lion’s Roar’, the second album from Swedish sisters Johanna and Klara of First Aid Kit, was initially released in January of this year. It has been regarded as one of the most unexpected great albums of 2012. Their brand of Indie-Country is influenced by Country legends such as Johnny Cash and Ray Price. This modern interpretation sees any clichés of lyricism or musicality, such as smoking yourself into an early grave or gambling your horse away, nowhere to be heard (with the exception of ‘I Just Needed a Friend’, you may need spurs on your boots for that one). Modern day comparisons are made between First Aid Kit and artists such as Mumford and Sons and Laura Marling, which is by no means a bad thing.
In terms of content, the album has the original ten tracks along with three previously unreleased ones, ‘Wolf’, Marianne’s Son’ and ‘I Just Needed a Friend’. ’Wolf’ should be particularly familiar to many fans as its been doing the rounds on YouTube since the album’s original release, when the band decided to keep it off the album, feeling it didn’t sit right with the rest of the album. This is the trend for all of the three new tracks, all would have a reason to be flagged up on the original release. They are all are a different type of song to those of the majority on the album, which doesn’t mean they are bad songs.
Along with the album is a bonus dvd containing three music videos, of the previous songs, which feel like filler on the disc next to ‘Follow You Down’, a documentary following the bands exploits on their U.S tour. This is a nice insight into the behind the scenes insight into the tour but is by no means breaking any ground in terms of bonus content.
In short, ‘The Lion’s Roar’ is a great album, and if you haven’t got it already, the deluxe edition is further incentive to buy it. Or you could dust off Basshunter’s Now You’re Gone: The Album, if you’re that way inclined…
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Chris Becton
